Branch Loans Kenya – review 2026
Pros
- Fast, fully digital application with funds sent straight to M-Pesa
- Loan limits can grow significantly for borrowers with good repayment history
- No collateral or physical paperwork required
- Licensed as a Digital Credit Provider under CBK oversight
Cons
- Non-bank lender, so standard banking deposit protections do not apply
- First loans are typically modest until a repayment track record is built
- Short-term digital credit carries a higher effective cost than bank loans
Branch International is a mobile lending platform operating in several emerging markets, including Kenya, Nigeria and India. In Kenya, Branch is registered as a digital credit provider (DCP) under the Central Bank of Kenya's Digital Credit Providers Regulations, 2022, meaning it is a licensed non-bank credit-only lender rather than a deposit-taking institution.
The Branch app offers instant unsecured loans of up to roughly KES 70,000, with credit decisions generated by a machine-learning model that analyses smartphone usage data, SMS and call metadata (with user permission) and mobile money transaction history. Approved funds are disbursed directly to the borrower's M-Pesa account, usually within minutes.
Fees and Eligibility
As with other DCP-licensed lenders, Branch must disclose the full cost of borrowing before a loan is accepted and is subject to CBK conduct-of-business rules, including restrictions on aggressive debt-collection practices that affected the sector before the 2022 regulations came into force. First-time borrowers typically receive a smaller loan limit that increases with a consistent repayment history.
Requirements
- National ID
- Smartphone with the Branch app installed
- Active, verifiable M-Pesa account
- Minimum age 18 years
- Mobile money or SMS transaction history for credit scoring
Provider contacts
- Name
- Branch International Limited
- Address
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Reg. number
- CBK/DCRP/2022/002
- Website
- https://branch.co.ke
- Online application
- Apply now →
- Regulator
- Central Bank of Kenya (CBK)
Information in this review is based on publicly available sources and is for informational purposes only. Finatino.com is not a financial product broker. Before signing any contract, we recommend reading the provider's terms and conditions.